Diasciaxc3x97hybrida cultivar Codiaw.
The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Diascia plant, botanically known as Diasciaxc3x97hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Codiaw.
The new Diascia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Diascias with numerous uniquely-colored flowers.
The new Diascia originated from a cross made by the Inventor in 1998 of a proprietary selection of Diasciaxc3x97hybrida identified as code number X97.48, not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with a proprietary selection of Diasciaxc3x97hybrida identified as code number X97.52, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Diascia was selected as a single plant from the resulting progeny by the Inventor in October, 1999, in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia, on the basis of its numerous white-colored flowers with red purple centers.
Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal cuttings taken in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia since October, 1999 has shown that the unique features of this new Diascia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
Plants of the cultivar Codiaw have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and daylength without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Codiawxe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Codiawxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Upright, outwardly spreading and compact plant habit.
2. Freely and continuous branching.
3. Numerous white-colored flowers with red purple centers.
Compared to plants of the female parent, the selection X97.48, plants of the new Diascia are slightly taller and have larger flowers. In addition plants of the new Diascia and the female parent differ in flower color as plants of the selection X97.48 have pink-colored flowers.
Compared to plants of the male parent, the selection X97.52, plants of the new Diascia are slightly taller and have larger flowers. In addition plants of the new Diascia and the male parent differ in flower color as plants of the selection X97.52 have pink-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Diascia can be compared to plants of the Diascia cultivar Ice Cracker, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Diascia were slightly taller and had larger flowers than plants of the cultivar Ice Cracker. In addition, plants of the new Diascia and the cultivar Ice Cracker differed in flower color as plants of the cultivar Ice Cracker were white with a smaller central red purple area.